There's been a lot of buzz about an upcoming announcement by Dark Horse Comics at San Diego Comic Con, and it appears we have advance notice of what that announcement is.

Varietyconfirms that Guillermo del Toro will be executive producing a comic book adaptation of The Strain, the sci-fi vampire trilogy that he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan. The project will mark del Toro's foray into the comic book world, although he's no novice to the medium. He grew up a rabid comic consumer and directed the two Hellboy movies.

The 24-issue series will debut in December, followed by three compilations in fall 2012. The trilogy's first entry, The Strain, follows a Holocaust survivor, a scientist fighting a virus that infects the citizens of New York City and turns them into vampires. The second book, The Fall, "sees the virus spread and war breaks out between Old and New World vampires." The final installment, The Night Eternal, is due this fall.

If his statements to Variety are any indication, Del Toro seems to have complete creative control over the project. "I supervise everything," he said. "I give my opinion on the art, the covers, the screenplays." He's expected to unveil more details at Comic Con later today, including his plans for marketing the project.

Del Toro is also producing Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which is due on August 26, and directing the alien-attack action flick Pacific Rim, which is in pre-production and is slated for a July 2013 release.